Muffler-type toy



Sept. 9, 1952 s, NEwELl. ET AL 2,609,540

MuFFLER-TYPE Toy v Filed Dec. 1. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 l Milli: 2O r4/lY.

BY n

Sept. 9, 1952 s. NEWELI. ET AL MUFFLER-TYPE TOY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FiledDec. l, 1949 INVENTORS arma/Fys atentec Sept. 9'-, i952V Burbank, Calif.

2,609,640 MUFFLER-TYiE' TOY Strohm Newell, Los Angeles, and Lew Ferl Y lApplication December 1, 1949, VSerial No. 130,378Y

This invention relates to a muffler-type toy adapted to be used onVehicles such-as for example bicycles, tricycles, and other childrenstoy vehicles.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device that. may bereadily applied to a childs vehiclesorasto be driven thereby in thecourse of movement of the vehicle and which will create a soundsimulating the exhaust through the mufiier; of afmotor-driven vehicle.Many children possessing leg-driven vehicles or even gravity propelledvehicles desire to have the vehicles create suchsound simulating amotor-driven vehicle ev`en though their vehicles are not so equipped.'.The present device is designed to fulfill such desires.' f

More specitlcally. an object of the invention is to provideramuiiier-type toy consisting essentially of an. elongated tube providinga type of resonance chamber, one end of which is closed by rubbe'rgorarubbersubstitute in which a reed is embedded .so .as to project intothe chamber formed by thetube the projecting end being en-Y gageable. by'a star wheel driven as the vehicle progresses so as to cause the reedto be vibrated to simulate the sound emanating from the mufiier of amotor-driven vehicle. By having the reed thusi'embedded in yrubber orrubber substitute at an end of the resonance chamber the desired soundmay be produced in contrast with a structure wherein the .reed ismountedv on a wall of the metallic tube. In such constructions, thesound produced is 'objectionable in that it is quite tinnywhereas amuled sound is desirable.

Still another object of the invention-is to provide a toy vof thischaracter applicable to bicycles, tricycles, and the like which canbeeasily installed without modifying or altering the construction of thebicycle or the tricycle as the case may be and which is so designed thatit may be optionally renderedl inoperative.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following de- 2 claims. (ci. ifL-iursipg u .uw `2- Fig.4 is a partial- ,viewin thev direction indicated Y I Fig. 5 is a partialview `in-vvertical section taken; substantially uponthe line 5''5 upon"Fig. r2 in-J the direction indicated; y

Fig. 6 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially uponthe line 6 6 upon Fig. 2; and

'.Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating ,v

mounted thereon which drives a smaller drivenV sprocket I I on the rearwheel thereon through a chain I2. Conventionally, both of thesesprockets are mounted on the right-hand side of the bicycle. The toy,embodying thepresent invention is preferably mounted on that end of theaxle I3 for the rear wheel of the bicycle opposite the driven sprocketII. It 'consists essentially of a thin-walled metal tube I4 of suitablelength,

tailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,reference is had to the acthe forward end of which is closed by rubberor rubber substitute I5. The rear end of the tube may be beveled oil asindicated at IB. Within the rubber closure I5 there is disposed a metalreed I'IY which is preferably vulcanized directlyl in the rubber I5.This reed may be apertured as at I8 so that in the .course of moldingthe closure I5 to shape the rubber stock may pass through the aperturesto firmly anchor the reed I'I therein. The closure I5 can be fastenedinA the forward end of the tubing I4 `by spinning the forward edgesinwardlyA asA indicated Yat I9. The reedA projects rearwardly within thetube I4 a short distance so as to beengageable with a star wheel2|l1that is rigidly .mounted onfa spindle'2I that extends transverselyrthrough the tube I4 adjacent its forward end. The side walls; of thetube are preferably merely pierced so that the inwardly bent edges oflthe holes that accommodate the spindle 2 If form inexpensive bear ingstherefor indicated ,at 22. kThat end ofgthe Spindle 2l that extendstoward the rear wall of the bicycle carries apinion 23 which may `besecured to the yspindle lsuch as by riveting the end of the spindlel asindicated at 24. Any other means may Vbe employed to rigidlysecur'e'the' movement 'being vlimited by th'efhea'd' 26 on 'tli'e sideelevation-taken substantially yupon the line, 4,4 upon Fig.,2,lin

spindle engaging the opposite wall of the tube I4. A gear 21 is providedwhich consists of a sheet metal disc applicable over the end of the axleI3 and which carries ears 28 through which bolts 29 may be extended toclamp the gear on the spokes of the rear wheel in concentricrelationship to the axle I3. This gear is preferably formed by merelystriking out of the body of the disc projections 30 which provide teeththat mesh with the teeth on the pinion 23. A bracket 3l is riveted orspot welded to the tube I4 adjacent its forward end and is slotted asindicated at 32 to receive the end of the axle I3. This bracket may beeither interposed between the. nut on the end of the axle and thebicycle frame, or if the axle I3 is of adequate length it may be slippedonto the end of the axle and an additional nut and washer provided torigidly mount the tube I4 in a substantiallyhorizontal positionextending rearwardly from the rear axle.

Thezbracket is so mounted on the tube I4 that when the device isinstalled on a bicycle it will not ordinarily interfere with the bracesfor mud guards if the bicycle is so equipped.

As the bicycle progresses its rear wall which constitutes a ground wheelthereof on rotating rotates the gear 21 therewith which drives thepinion 23 and thus rotates the spindle 2| and the star wheel 29. Thestar Wheel, while in engagement with the reed vibrates the reed I1,causing a sound to issue from the tube I4 that is quite similar to thesound issuing from the mufiier of a motor driven vehicle. The fact thatthe reed is out of direct contact with the tube I4 but is embedded inthe rubber closure I5 brings about the desired type of muffled sound. Itthe reed I1 were so mounted as to be in direct contact with the metallictube I4 or with a metallic end closure for the tube, the sound producedwould be of a tinny character which would not adequately resemble thesound issuing from the muier of a motor driven vehicle.

It is desirable to be able to disengage or render the toy inoperativewithout disassembling it orremoving it from the bicycle. To this end,the compression spring 25 enables the spindle 2l to be axially shifted asuicient distance to disengagethe pinion 23 from the gear 21. The outerwall of the tubing I4 has alatch 33 pivotally mounted such as by bolt 34and this latch may assume either of the two positions illustrated inFig. 4. When the latch is in the full-line position the spring 25 iseffective to maintain the spindle 2l in that Vposition wherein thepinion engages the gear. On the other hand, if the spindle 2l isforcibly shifted in opposition to the compression spring 25 the latchmay be swung into the full-line position shown in Fig. 3 and dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 4, wherein it occupies a position betweentherhead 26 and the tube I4 holding the pinion 23 out of engagement withthe gear 21. In this position the bicycle may be ridden without causingthe toy to func-` tion or operate. Reverse swing of thel'atch enablesthe compression spring 25 to reengage the pinion 23 with the gear 21.

It is, of course, possible tov mount the improved toy on the right-handside of the vehicle and equip the pinion 23 with a rubber tire whichwill' engage the chain l2 and sprocket II on the right-hand side. Thisarrangement, however, isv

not preferred due to the fact that most bicycles are either equippedwith coaster brakesv or over--V running clutches enabling the bicycle tocoast without involving a, rotation of the sprocket; |;I, or,`

movement of the chain i2. By mounting the toy on the bicycle in theposition shown, the device will continue to function whether the bicycleis coasting or not.

In Fig. "I, a slight modification is illustrated wherein the closure liafor the forward end of the tubing has been cored out as indicated at Ibaround the location where the reed I'Ia is anchored. This arrangementpermits the closure to be made without employing as much rubber stockand to some extent enables the anchoring of the reed to be made somewhatmore resilient.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that animproved muiiler-type toy has been provided which is readily applicableto childrens vehicles so as to be driven thereby and which will producea sound closely resembling the sound produced from the muilier of amotor driven vehicle.

Various changes may be made in thedetailsof construction withoutkdeparting from theV spirit.

and scope of the invention as defined by-lllfiev Aal1-- pended claims,wherein:

We claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a.V`

tube, a rubber closure for one end ofthetube. a reed anchored on saidclosure and projecting therefrom into the tube, a spindlev rotatablymounted on the tube, a star wheel on the spindle engageablewith thereed, a pinion on the spindlev on the exterior of the tube and a gearapplicable to a wheel of a childs vehicle for meshing engagement withthe pinion enabling the star wheel to be driven thereby, saidspindlebelng axially adjustable, spring means urgingy the spindle intothat position wherein the pinion will engage the gear, and meansforlatching the spindle in a position wherein the. pinion and gear aremutually disengaged.

2. A device of the class described comprising a tube, a rubber closurefor one end of theV tube, a reed anchored on said closureV andprojecting therefrom into the tube, a spindle rotatably' mounted on thetube, a star wheel on the spindle engageable With the reed, a pinion .onthe spindle on the exterior of they tube anda gear' applicable to awheel of a childs` vehicle for meshing engagement with the pinionenabling the star wheel tobe driven thereby, said spindle being axiallyadjustable, spring means urging-V the spindle into that position whereinthepinion will engage the gear, said spindle having a head`r thereonadjacent one side of thetube `anda latchv pivotally mounted upon saidlside oi? the` tube adapted to be swung intoa position between the headand the tube tohold the spindle in a position wherein the` pinion andgear aremutuallyf disengaged.

STROHM NEWEIL.

FAY;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the;

` l'e of' this patent:

UNITED STATES .PATENTS

